Loved Laurence
by RealMe07
Summary: Jo refuses Laurie a second time, and he leaves to do something that will change their lives forever. One-shot. A little blood but really no harm done! :
1. Chapter 1

She remembered that terrible day. The day she refused her boy.

"Jo, dear?" Beth said while she climbed the old steps to Jo's precious garret. "Are you going to say good bye to Laurie?"

"No. I can't bear to see him. He's so..so..oh I don't know what the word is, Bethy." Jo frowned. "Bethy I don't realize why I can't love him."

"Maybe you just don't realize your feelings yet. Maybe you will figure it out when he's gone."

"Marmee?" Jo yelled while she came down the stairs. She nearly toppled over her own two feet. "Why has Teddy been ignoring us? Not just me, but you and Father, and even dear, sweet Beth!"

"Jo, he isn't ignoring us…" Marmee looked near to tears. "He…Jo, he went off to fight."

"Fight?" Jo's jaw dropped open, trying to let out words. But, she just couldn't!

"Yes Dearie, F-I-G-H-T. Fight. In the army."

"But...why would…oh he'll…Marmee?" Jo was so shocked all she could do was stutter.

"He asked Father about the war and what he could do. He claimed he only wanted to help his country. But Father remembered him talking about the war that he would never enter it. He of course, appreciated the people who DID fight in the war, but never wanted to himself. Father tried to talk him out of it, saying how difficult it was, how wonderful his life already is and that he shouldn't want to risk it but all Laurie would say is the opposite. So, Father sent a letter to his friend who is a very large part in the United States army, and Laurie...well Dear, he left to fight yesterday morning."

Jo was silently crying. "Why? Oh. Marmee why would he EVER do such a thing! And Father. FATHER! Why would he give in?" By now Jo was in her mother's loving embrace crying onto her shoulder.

"Jo, I don't know about Father's part, but don't blame him. Laurie, well I've overheard from his grandfather why."

"Well, why then?" Jo looked up at her mother with eyes full of questions and mostly tears.

"Jo, you have refused him a second time. I know he is overreacting and it's not your fault. Jo dear, don't blame yourself or do anything rational like him. I know you can control yourself dear." She hugged her crying daughter and whispered, "God will surly keep him safe."

It was a cold, stormy night and Jo couldn't sleep with the thought of her boy in the army, fighting because she had refused his marriage a second time.

"It's all your fault, Josephine March. Because of you, he will die. He will surly die!"

"Jo, there's a letter for you!" Beth called to her older sister.

"Oh, I do hope it's from Teddy!" Jo couldn't help but have thoughts run through her mind about what he would say.

Jo ripped open the letter that said:

Miss Josephine March:

Theadore Laurence has requested to send you this letter. He has been injured in duty. We are not sure if he will live very long. He wishes to see you.

-Captain John Fryidmen

"Father, may I come in?" Jo said knocking on he father's Study Room door.

"Yes Darling."

"I…I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes anything! Ask away!" He replied with the most loving, warming, and welcoming smile Jo had ever seen on her father's face.

"I…I would like to help to take care of soliders in the hospital. I ask of you to send a letter." O said strongly looking at the floor, refusing to meet her father's eyes.

"Very well, then. I shall let my friend know."

"Hello…Miss Josephine I believe?" A tall, handsome man asked Jo with a smile. He had a dark tan, probably because he had been out in the sun for training and fighting.

"Er…yes." Jo replied with a nod and smile in return.

"Well, I can definently see your father in you!"

"Oh, you are Captain John Fryidmen?"

"Yes. I am very sorry to hear about your friend. But, lucky for you, if you put on this dress, as the women who nurse must do, I will let you be the only one to take care of him and in fact this would be your first duty." The Captain handed Jo a blanket. "You may give him these." He smiled ever so kindly at Jo once again. "If you need anything, my tent is right over there." He pointed but Jo could barely make sense because of the dust and wind.

"May I come in?"

"Yes, nurse."

Laurie lay on his cotton mattress…looking pale and wounded. He had replied in such a weak tone, she could barely understand him.

She laid the blankets over his wounded body.

"Thank you." He said.

"So…I see it's your leg?"

"Yes…I have been shot and it is infected." He said solemnly. "And still waiting on a friend."

She turned to face him, and Laurie cried out, "Jo? Jo!"

"Yes, Teddy. I'm here. In fact I'll be taking care of you. I'll be the ONLY one taking care of you."

"Well, that's exactly what I wanted to hear."

Laurie gripped his leg. He yelled in pain. Jo ran to get a doctor or someone else who could help.

"He doesn't have very long, Miss March." The doctor told Jo in a hushed voice so Laurie wouldn't hear. "I believe you should say your good-byes."

"Teddy…"

"Jo, I know I'm dying."

"But how…"

"Let's just say that doctor can't whisper." He looked at Jo with the nicest smile she had ever seen on anybody's face. He made Jo give out a little giggle. Then she looked down at his wounded leg and one single tear fell from her eye. Laurie wiped it off.

"Before I die, Jo, just please do two things."

"Anything, Teddy. Anything for you."

"One, take care of Grandfather and give him this. Tell him I love him emmencley and thank him for everything he's done for me." Laurie handed Jo a letter.

"And what is the…the se…second th…thing?" Jo stuttered through her tears.

"Kiss me and say you love me."

"Teddy, I always have. It just took my stupid self forever to realize it."

And Jo kissed him.

And with that kiss from Jo, Laurie felt stronger than he ever had before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Last Chapter: And with that kiss from Jo, Laurie felt stronger than he ever had before.**

He closed his eyes. Slowly and calmly. He was so peaceful. And he died with a smile on his face because of Jo.

Jo put her hand over her mouth. She cried. More and worse than when Beth had died.

She loved him.

But, she hated herself. The little voice in the back of her head said, 'It's your fault, Jo. If you would've admitted your love sooner, he wouldn't be dead. How are you going to tell your family? What about poor Mr. Laurence? He already lost Laurie's parents and now him? It's all your fault.'

She clenched her heart as if it would crumble into pieces. She was crying over him when Father's friend slowly moved her off of him and let her cry on his shoulder like he was her father. As soon as she had calmed down she decided to go back home. She had to tell the others…somehow.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"At least he died smiling." Meg said trying not to cry too much than she already had at his funeral. They had kept the body where he died and would bury it next to his parents' later on.

Jo was dressed in the same dress she wore to Beth's funeral three weeks later. But this was much different somehow. At Beth's funeral, Laurie was there to comfort her. No one could comfort her now. No one. She couldn't take it. So, she left and went to the grove. So many memories there…good and bad. 'How could he be gone? He was so young…and good…and…and…' Jo's trail of thoughts were interrupted by a man's voice. It sounded like Laurie's-but Jo knew she thought she was going mad. He was dead! He couldn't be standing there, saying her name. "Jo?" Jo turned around, expecting to see John or her Father.

It was him. Teddy! Teddy was alive!

Jo ran and hugged him, gently of course. "Am I just dreaming?" Jo asked staring at him trying to find out if he was real or in her imagination.

"Yes, Jo. I'm alive."

"But, I saw…and you…your…how?" she stuttered.

"I was asleep, Jo. I suppose you 'tuckered me out' as you used to say. They said I made a 'remarkable recovery' and I could go home early." Jo was crying tears of joy and surprise now. He wiped away her tears. "Did you really mean what you said?"

"What did I say?" Jo asked a little confused.

"You really love me?" He asked searching her eyes.

"Yes, Laurie. I was too stupid to realize it before."

"I was stupid to leave you. Go off to fight, Ha! I could never make it." He looked down and picked something out of his pocket. "Jo, I've done this before…and I need ot do it again before one of us run of again."

Jo laughed a little, walked closer to him, and looked into his eyes.

"I want-need you for my wife, Jo. Will you have me?" He asked, clinging to hope.

"You already have me. And you always have." Jo said and she kissed her Teddy.

So, they walked back to Laurence Manor, and told everyone their long story of love, death, and renewal.

**Author's Note: Now, I didn't want to make another chapter, but I kept getting requests, so I hoped you enjoy! This is now COMPLETE.**


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